How Does an Air Conditioner Actually Work?

When you call in to Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning for air
conditioner maintenance, have you ever found yourself wondering
how an air conditioner actually works? Our experts are are back again, shedding
a little light on the how and why of our favorite cooling systems!

Ready to get the cooling system and services you need to stay cool this
summer season?
Contact Jerry Kelly today!

How does an air conditioner work? First off, it’s important to note that an air conditioner is less
about adding cool air to your home, and more about
removing warm or hot air. While you have
lots of air conditioner technology out there these days (Central, ductless,
heat pumps), for the most part they all operate off of the same basic
principles.

They all make use of a chemical that easily and quickly transitions from
liquid to gas and back again. These are referred to as refrigerants, though
many chemicals fill this role. An air conditioning system makes use of
this chemical, by way of various mechanical processes, to move hot air
from in the home to the outside.

Science lesson! When liquids convert to a gas, they absorb ambient heat.
This process is called
phase transition, and your air conditioner depends on this process to do its job! To be
precise, phase transition refers to any conversion. Gas, solid, liquid.

It can be very easy to make this all very confusing, so we’ll break
down the process into digestible bits by focusing on one part and process
at a time.

The Compressor

Both the compressor and condenser are housed (traditionally) in your outdoor
unit. The liquid form of your refrigerant enters the compressor in a cool
state. The compressor then (of course) compresses this fluid, forcing
its particles closer and generating heat. As it heats and, well, compresses,
the liquid transforms into a high-heat gas. At this time, it moves on
to the next part.

The Condenser

This is essentially a series of coils through which our now hot gas travels.
While traveling through these coils, the generated heat dissipates, aided
by exterior fans. You can see (and feel) these plainly while standing
in front of your outdoor unit. At the end of this coil system, our refrigerant
has now returned to a much cooler liquid state, at which time it is returned to the
indoor unit.

The Evaporator

At this point, our cool, liquid refrigerant is returning to the home a
little at a time in a controlled process. As it is reintroduced to the
interior coils, it begins to evaporate rapidly (thus: evaporator). A series
of metal fins placed over the evaporator coils become very cool, and fans
are used to blow this chilled air into your home through the ducts or
other similar delivery systems. At this point, the process repeats until
the room has reached the desired temperature (this is what the thermostat is for).

If this whole process sounds familiar at all, you might be interested in
knowing that this is essentially how your refrigerator works, too!

AIR CONDITIONER MAINTENANCE IN ST. CHARLES WITH JERRY KELLY

Interested in finding out how to get prime air conditioning and air conditioner
maintenance services in our area? Look no further! Our experts carry the
skill, knowledge and experience needed to bring you the best HVAC service
in St. Louis!
Contact Jerry Kelly today to find out more about what we can provide for your home.